With almost every relevant heavyweight crammed into one event, it’s difficult not to be excited for UFC 146. Heavyweights are the main attraction in all combat sports so creating an all-heavyweight card seems perfect, right? But coul…
With almost every relevant heavyweight crammed into one event, it’s difficult not to be excited for UFC 146. Heavyweights are the main attraction in all combat sports so creating an all-heavyweight card seems perfect, right?
But could this instead create the perfect storm? Will we regret out indulgence in what we love the most?
Probably not. This actually may be a good thing for the division. The main benefit I see is that this card, and the rest of the heavyweight fights this month, including the Strikeforce Grand Prix, puts the top 10 giants on the same schedule.
The top 10 will shift all in one month and they’ll all be ready for another one in September.
This is very similar to what occurred last year in May and June. The Strikeforce Grand Prix hosted Overeem versus Werdum which had half of the top 10 on June 18. And the UFC held multiple events in which the rest of the best heavyweights squared off all in the same month.
Although they weren’t on the exact same card, it will have the same effect.
Not only will we see a complete shift among the top 10, but we may also have an insurgence of young talent into the pool of relevant contenders.
The Strikeforce Grand Prix finale, between Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier, will take place seven days prior to the mega UFC event. I wouldn’t be surprised if Zuffa crowns the winner of this match the last Strikeforce heavyweight champion and matches him up with the UFC champion to unify the belts.
This would exemplify the benefit of having them all on the same schedule. It would also allow the promotion to hold another mega card like this in September or October if this setup proves to be successful.
Plus we can expect a lineup of devastating knockouts since some of the most ferocious fighters reside in this division. The 10 heavyweights on the UFC 146 card are collectively responsible for 52 knockouts. This number almost doubles if you include heavyweights that also fight this month.
Don’t expect problems from UFC 146. Expect excitement not only for Saturday, May 26 but also for the heavyweight division for the rest of 2012.
The lightweight main event this Saturday will possibly have title implications, according to UFC president Dana White.This is similar to the situation in January, where Rashad Evans’ win over Phil Davis earned him a title shot at light heavyweigh…
The lightweight main event this Saturday will possibly have title implications, according to UFC president Dana White.
This is similar to the situation in January, where Rashad Evans’ win over Phil Davis earned him a title shot at light heavyweight Jon Jones, despite the fact that a win by Davis that night wouldn’t have resulted in the same reward.
According to Dana White, “If Diaz wins, he gets a title shot; if Miller wins, he is probably still a fight or two away.”
This is great news for the younger brother of the infamous Nick Diaz. It also ends speculation about who’s next in the long line of lightweight contenders to face the winner of the rematch between champion Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar.
Diaz has had a rocky career in terms of wins and losses, but in the last several months, he seems to be in the zone. After submitting the veteran Takanori Gomi with an armbar, he picked apart a great striker in Donald Cerrone, who, at the time, was also in the running for a lightweight contention.
Nate’s style of fighting is very similar to his older brother’s style. They both attempt to overwhelm their opponents with a barrage of punches at a constant pace that is difficult for many to maintain. Also, they almost never move backwards, and they usually welcome takedowns from their opponents, since their skill level in jiu-jitsu ranks high in comparison with anyone in the promotion, regardless of weight class.
It will be interesting to see how the wrestler Jim Miller approaches such a skilled submission fighter on the ground.
Over the last year, the public’s perception of light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones has changed drastically. He’s widely considered to be one of the best fighters in the world, but many believe that his physical abilities combined with his …
Over the last year, the public’s perception of light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones has changed drastically. He’s widely considered to be one of the best fighters in the world, but many believe that his physical abilities combined with his new-found fame have rapidly inflated his ego.
His fans and outspoken opponents have drawn attention to his self-assuredness, most notably Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans. They don’t hesitate to call him cocky.
I’ve written before about the unpresuming facade that Jones attempts to portray in his interviews and how his upcoming opponents often see right through it. Rashad Evans, the No. 1 light-heavyweight contender and former teammate of Jones, has continually poked the young lion during joint interviews over the last few months, as is evident in the video below.
Evans has continuously made claims of Jones’ conceit and has consistently shared his opinion of Jones, which is that he’s fake. Evans believes that Jones puts up this front to hide his arrogance.
During their interview on SportsNite, Evans described Jones as creative. He said, “He fights with that youth of just not knowing anything can happen. You know that youth when you just go out there and you just think that everything’s going to go the way you planned. Before you know it, it always don’t happen like that.”
This image of Jones portrayed by fans and fighters alike has become so commonplace that at times Jones has relented in his attempts at appearing humble. He’s claimed in the SportsNite and the UFC Ultimate Insider interviews to believe his own hype and to be high on himself. He believes it’s key to his success.
Their lack of respect for one another is evident as they constantly speak over and interrupt each other.
In part two of their interview on UFC Ultimate Insider, Jones explains how Evans has been known as an egotistical fighter since the beginning of his career. He stated, “I remember Rashad started all the way back on The Ultimate Fighter with the gyrating and the dancing and showboating in front of people. Matt Hughes, somebody who’s greatly respected, was one of the first to call it out. ‘Hey this kid’s a little on the cocky side’.”
The 24-year-old champion also explained that Evans’ entire reason for leaving Jackson’s camp was that he needed a training group that would focus on himself. Jones stated that the proof is in Evans’ lifestyle, that he’s loyal only to himself.
Jones clearly believes that Evans fabricated an excuse to leave and create his own camp to spite his former teammate and coaches. After their falling-out, Evans moved to Florida and created his own training team, named “Blackzilians” since the majority of the members were either black or Brazilian.
Jones claimed to have a saying that is “There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team.’ There’s no ‘I’ in ‘Jacksons.’ There’s ‘I’ in ‘Blackzilians.’”
As Jones began to speak about Greg Jackson’s team, Evans abruptly cut in, raised his voice and stated, “Don’t talk about the history of the program because, [expletive] I made that program!” They continued, back and forth, mocking and sarcastically demeaning each other.
Jones then scathingly spoke directly to Evans and said, “I really look at you as fake. I look at you as arrogant. I look at you as selfish. I look at you as self-centered. And I think your biggest thing is to try to reflect it off on me and make me seem like I’m everything that you’re feeling inside your heart.”
Evans simply looked at him with a smile.
At certain points during multiple joint interviews, Jones seemed to become weary of Evans’ taunts and mocking behavior and resorted to breaking down two of their recent opponents that they have in common. He coldly stated how Evans had trouble defeating Rampage Jackson and was knocked out “silly” by Lyoto Machida, while he finished them both.
With finality, Jones stated, “I feel like the champ in every way. And I feel like I’m going to do the same exact thing to you in April.”
While deciphering which of the pair is most cocky is extremely difficult, if not impossible, they contrast each other with one key feature. The difference between them is that Jones makes attempts to be a relaxed and confident fighter while Evans makes no claims of being humble.
Evans doesn’t hesitate to mock his former teammate while Jones always initiates the conversation with a calm and collected demeanor which he attempts to use to methodically disarm his sarcastic rival. Unfortunately for the champion, his contender knows him too well and says exactly what is needed to rile him up.
As confusion surrounds the possible scenarios that could take place next week at Alistair Overeem’s hearing, we wait in growing anticipation to learn his explanation.Since his testosterone to epitestosterone (T:E) ratio was found to be 14 times t…
As confusion surrounds the possible scenarios that could take place next week at Alistair Overeem’s hearing, we wait in growing anticipation to learn his explanation.
Since his testosterone to epitestosterone (T:E) ratio was found to be 14 times that of the average man, he must present an excuse to the Nevada State Athletic Commission to explain such a high result.
According to his manager, Glen Robinson, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for his ratio being so out of proportion. He told Inside MMA’s Ron Kruck that although Overeem’s T:E ratio was “off,” his testosterone level was not high.
Until this point, media sources have speculated that for his ratio to be so abnormal, his testosterone must be significantly higher than allowed.
His massive physique and the missed urine test last December have led many to believe he will claim to be utilizing Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and simply hasn’t reported it yet.
TRT is now widely believed to be a loophole in the system that athletes use to excessively raise their testosterone levels during training and lower them before the predetermined urine exam.
But these statements from Overeem’s manager insinuate the possibility that Overeem’s epitestosterone level is exceptionally low.
There are few known circumstances where epitestosterone may be lower than normal. Jake Young, a Behavioral Neuroscience MD/PhD student and Stanford graduate, analyzed a similar situation in 2006 in which Floyd Landis blamed a low epitestosterone level to be the cause of his high T:E ratio.
Landis was found to be guilty of abuse after a carbon isotope ratio test was used to determine that his testosterone was synthetic rather than natural. But prior to the conclusive testing, Landis’ situation was similar to Overeem’s.
Prior to the exam, Young speculated on the possibilities that could cause Landis to have a low epitestosterone level. He points out that we should not only look at what can alter levels of epitestosterone, but also what can alter the excretion of epitestosterone.
One possibility he noted was that during a controlled experiment, it was shown that ingestion of alcohol “always resulted in a significant increase in the ratio between testosterone and epitestosterone.” Changes in the ratio scaled up to 90 percent in some of the subjects studied.
This change is dependent upon the amount of alcohol consumed. According to the calculations in the study, Overeem would have had to consume about five two-ounce shots of highly concentrated liquor for his urine levels to change so significantly.
While it would be surprising to find that Overeem consumed alcohol in this quantity during training, it is nevertheless plausible.
Other examples Young explicated were benign prostatic hypertrophy and individuals with naturally low epitestosterone levels. The former generally occurs at ages 60-70, and the latter is a rare occurrence, but these are also nevertheless plausible.
If Overeem alleges to have naturally low epitestosterone levels, the commission may request further testing to prove his claim.
While they don’t put Overeem in the clear, these examples show that there are possibilities that haven’t been considered. For several years, spectators have constantly attributed Overeem’s growth in size to steroid use despite the lack of evidence to support such allegations.
On UFC Tonight, Chael Sonnen points out that Overeem has not tested positive for any illegal substances. He has simply been tested to have an abnormal ratio and, as Michael Schiavello pointed out, did not fight with that high ratio.
My point here is that fans and other speculators should not jump to conclusions because of the general perception of a fighter or their situation. With Robinson’s statements and Valentijn Overeem’s claims that he would know if his brother utilized TRT, it’s difficult to persecute Overeem when analyzing the facts.
Since Overeem has officially applied for licensure in Nevada, he is now subject to refusal of licensure and/or disciplinary action from the NSAC, per a 2008 memorandum from the commission.
Confidence from the Overeem party, exemplified by Robinson’s statements and Overeem’s application for licensure, show that there may be a viable explanation for all of this. Of course Landis had similar confidence in his statements that concluded to not be true.
But until April 24th, we can only speculate on the possibilities. Hopefully everyone can get their facts straight.
In 2010, Chael Sonnen made popular the treatment called Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). His testosterone ratio was almost 17 times that of the average man at the time of his urine sample collection at UFC 117, and Sonnen was proud of it. At a p…
In 2010, Chael Sonnen made popular the treatment called Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). His testosterone ratio was almost 17 times that of the average man at the time of his urine sample collection at UFC 117, and Sonnen was proud of it. At a press conference during a Q&A session, Sonnen mockingly stated: “You’re telling me I’m one-tenth higher than the average man? Re-test that. You must have caught me on a low day.”
During his championship match with Anderson Silva, Sonnen shockingly dominated the Brazilian for almost the entire fight. Unfortunately for Sonnen, he couldn’t finish the task and was submitted in the fifth round.
This shockingly good performance by Sonnen against the top-ranked fighter on the planet led many to question whether his elevated testosterone levels played a major role in the beating that he dealt to Silva. But Silva also entered the fight with broken ribs, therefore a solid conclusion couldn’t be drawn.
Since then, multiple situations have brought the questionable treatment into the public eye. The treatment isn’t questionable from a medical perspective; it’s questionable from a sport perspective.
After his embarrassing loss to Ryan Bader, Rampage Jackson made claims of raising his testosterone levels to that of a 25-year-old with TRT. The problem with this equation is that Jackson isn’t 25 years old, he’s 33.
What’s troubling is that according to Jackson, a UFC doctor prescribed him the testosterone level of a 25-year-old. What these doctors seem to have forgotten is that a male’s testosterone level gradually decreases with age. In other words, a healthy 33-year-old male isn’t supposed to have the testosterone level of a 25-year-old.
Although Sonnen made the treatment popular, Jackson unintentionally exposed its fraudulence with his comments. His candidness with the media about it is possibly the cause of the latest falling-out between Jackson and the UFC.
Nate Marquardt, after his T:E ratio was deemed too high, claimed that his levels would have come down to normal within the time of the fight. What I ask is: come down from where?
Because of these recent incidences and the lack of strict regulation, it’s possible for athletes to maintain higher than normal testosterone levels during training and have them come down to normal levels at a pre-announced testing time, awarding them the benefits of steroids which include increase healing rate and muscle strength.
With the substance abuse picture becoming more and more clear over time, we are faced with the question: should athletes be allowed to exploit this obvious loophole? If an organization intends to maintain its legitimacy as a professional league, it shouldn’t.
Fighter safety, for both the TRT user and his opponent, is also a major issue that needs to be considered.
According to Michael Schiavello, 99 percent of fighters are using steroids. With Rampage Jackson and Nate Marquardt admitting to having abnormally high levels of testosterone during training via TRT, it’s difficult not to concede that the treatme…
With Rampage Jackson and Nate Marquardt admitting to having abnormally high levels of testosterone during training via TRT, it’s difficult not to concede that the treatment is an obvious loophole. Fighters are sometimes having difficulty hiding their bad habits and I can name one that didn’t even try.
Chael Sonnen fought Anderson Silva at UFC 117 with seemingly no attempt to have his testosterone at a normal level at fight time. His post-fight urine test was 16.9:1, more than four times the California State Athletic Commission limit.
It seems like every few months we have another case of elevated testosterone. Alistair Overeem, along with several other heavyweight fighters participating in UFC 146, were subjected to a surprise urine test a few weeks ago at the press conference for the event. All samples were within normal limits except for Overeem’s, which was 14:1.
As this growing problem becomes more prominent in the public eye, the UFC faces more scrutiny from critics. Dana has responded to questioning of the organization’s drug testing policies with claims that UFC “athletes are already held to the highest testing standards in all sports by athletic commissions.” Dana has also stated that utilizing a system to randomly drug test all of his almost 400-fighter roster would be unrealistic.
But according to Victor Conte, during his interview on MMA Hour, there are multiple feasible and affordable options that the UFC could use to monitor its roster. The main suggestion from Conte is that the UFC hire the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) for about $1-1.5 million a year. All of the UFC’s nearly 400-man roster would be randomly drug tested biannually.
Another suggestion from Conte is the possibility of carbon isotope ratio testing, abbreviated as CIR. CIR testing has the ability to distinguish synthetic testosterone in the urine. Conte claims to understand that no system is perfect, but there is always room for improvement. He believes that the UFC and the athletic commissions should be the ones financing these third-party programs. The organization would essentially be investing in its own legitimacy.
With a system like VADA’s, it would make it very difficult to maintain a higher level of testosterone during training and have it within normal ranges at fight time since fighters wouldn’t know when they’re going to be tested. For what reason could the UFC owners not want to increase the legitimacy of their organization with a relatively cheap drug testing program?
At this point, I think Dana knows his roster would be sacked with the removal of all fighters abusing steroids. The increased standards would theoretically improve the legitimacy of the organization, but may also destroy it since several popular fighters would be suspended of a license to fight for possibly a year or more. Dana may not be completely confident that his entire roster is completely drug free. For this reason, he may not be encouraged to take those extra steps ahead of other major sports leagues.
Once the UFC has an extensive pool of talent at each weight class, they may choose to ramp up their drug testing program, since losing a certain percentage of athletes won’t have such a huge negative impact. The UFC is still in a fragile stage, where huge sweeping changes like this could be detrimental.
With almost every relevant heavyweight crammed into one event, it’s difficult not to be excited for UFC 146. Heavyweights are the main attraction in all combat sports so creating an all-heavyweight card seems perfect, right?